Belly's Grill Is the Place for Embellished Burgers

Tuesday

Dec 24, 2013 at 4:32 PM

By ERIC PERATHE LEDGER

You can dress it up with all manner of decoration, but a good burger doesn't require a lot of stuff and nonsense. The folks at Belly's Grill in Lakeland appear to have mastered this tenet, serving up a perfectly respectable burger with modest trimmings. But, I submit, someone in the kitchen has gone off the reservation, taking wild liberties with the restaurant's signature sandwich.Sticking a perfectly wonderful patty of ground chuck, griddled to moist, meaty perfection, between two glazed doughnuts strikes me as mere carnival trick. Ditto with the number that brings macaroni and cheese to the party.But this short-order restaurant tucked into an East Edgewood Drive strip center has a bagful of burger embellishments much more reasonable, and absolutely delicious, even if unnecessary.Belly's Lone Star burger is no shrinking violet, but neither does it go overboard with silly ingredients. At $6.99, it's a study of smoky balance, sporting thin, slightly crispy strips of bacon and slivers of fried onion strings bathed in a light coating of barbecue sauce and chipotle mayo. The fine chop of lettuce, tomatoes and pickle tie it all together for a very tasty package.Yes, the restaurant takes shortcuts. The crinkle-cut fries are, I strongly suspect, of the frozen variety. But they taste just fine, especially the sweet potato fries, worth the premium price of $2.99 (too) small, $4.29 (just right) large.The chili that bathes a rather sturdy, if somewhat pedestrian frankfurter, $4.99 with fries, most certainly comes from a can, while the fish in the fish sandwich, $6.99, seems to hail from the same freezer as the fries. But if you're dining at Belly's, you're not really the sort to let such deficiencies rankle in the first place. After all, it isn't gourmet diner food. There's nothing to woo the Food Network's excitable short-order guru, Guy Fieri.Yet Belly's is one of Lakeland's better options for a good, decent, old-fashioned burger, sized according to appetite, as in a one-pounder that comes decked in bacon, two kinds of cheese, fried eggs and a handful of fries for the minor sum of $8.99.If you're macho enough to handle this dandy, suitably coined "Scott's Belly Buster," you might as well go all the way with one of the restaurant's thick, creamy milk shakes, which come in nearly a dozen flavors, including a frightfully yummy plain vanilla, all wearing a crown of whipped cream and maraschino cherry.Eateries of the same name or a close approximation, all positioned nearby, have come and gone. The latest incarnation is owned by Laymon Hackney of Polk City. It is a modest enterprise, a bare bones dining room with tile floor that serves to amplify noise.Orders are taken at a kitchen counter, where one can view the swift sport of manufacturing a bevy of grilled offerings, including a nice take on a Philly steak sandwich, $7.99, spilling with thick slices of mostly lean, tender steak, along with the requisite onions, green peppers, mushrooms and melted provolone.A table companion noted, as did I, an unusual, earthy flavor that we chalked up to the brand of mushrooms. Otherwise, no complaints.The same sliced steak shows up folded in pita along with grilled onions, cheese and lettuce and tomato, $6.99. The menu includes a number of wraps, salads, gyros and other sandwich fare.Service was swift on three visits, all during the noontime rush, with little if any delay in getting food to the table. Staff are amiable and, at times, loud and informal, shouting greetings at regulars seemingly attracted to the friendly, casual vibe.During a Sept. 19 inspection, the restaurant was cited for eight violations, four of which were considered high priority, including food held at improper temperatures. Most were corrected immediately.Belly's passes the test: Would I go back? Absolutely yes, mostly for another one of those Lone Star burgers. And I might as well have a shake, and a basket of those crunchy, irresistible sweet potato fries.

Eric Pera can be reached at eric.pera@theledger.com or 863-802-7528.

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